Page:Indian Journal of Economics Volume 2.djvu/409

 PUNJAB LND PBIOE$ 898 The official figures now give the average rate per In the 21 years from 1896-7 [o 1916-17 about 967.000 plots of land. totalling some three million acres )! cultivated land (nearly 10 per cent o! the whole). have been old for thirty-three crores of rupees. Looking a the figures. it may be said that from 1868 to 1891 the rise in price was not more rapid than might be expected [o result from lenient assess- men[s. improved communications. wider markets and other accompaniments of settled government. The continuance of the rise is more ditBcul[ [o explain. I is n.o due [o increasing densRy o! population. for this in 1881 amounted [o 514 of the o[al population square mile of cultivated area. and in 1911 it fallen [o 499. or 56 X land revenue or 89 X ,, ,, or 105 X ,, ,, or I?X ,, ,, or 157 X ,, ,, per had It is not due to better cultural methods or to improvements in the soil. per hundred 1868 to 48 The number of agriculturists cultivated acres has declined from 46 in. in 1911, and it is believed that there has been a similar decrease in bullock power. of improvement due to manuring, of clovers or root crops does not intensity of cultivation has probably declined,. I par the upward movement is due to the increase of irrigation from canals, wells etc. from nearly six million aqres in 1888, o over twelve million acres in 1917. The cost .of the well is usually included in the price of the land. It is important to observe, however, The question or the introduction arise. The average 1885-86 80 1890-91 61 1895-96 59 1900-01 77 1905-06 85 1910-11 124 1916-17 ? cultivated acre as follows :--